Cleaner for carpets and the like.



B. D-. JONES.

CLEANER FOR CARPETS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- H. 1916.

1,204,448. Patented Nov. 14,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I B. D. JONES.

CLEANER FOR CARPETS AND THE-LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-11,1916.

1,204,448. Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET'2.

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onnnnnn lion cn'nrnrs AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Btmnnu. D. Jones, a citizen of the United States, and resldent of the city of (Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaners for Carpets and the like, of which the following is a specification. I My inventlon relates to cleaners, and more particularly to such as are adapted to travel upon'the floor for cleaning carpets and the like.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide an eflicient cleaner of comparatively few parts and of simple construction, comprising an organizatlon of 0p-. erative elements into a relatively small compass, the parts being readily accessiblefor cleaning and repair, the top of the device being normally relatively close to the floor, with provisions withln the boundarles of the device for the accommodation of a brush cleaner, and, in the preferred construct on wherein such operative parts as the suct on creating means, suction chamber, dr1v1ng' and supporting wheels, and a brush cleaner are incased b I top, side and end walls whereby injury to urniture is avoided by the contact therewith of projecting cleaner parts.

Still other objects and advantages Wlll appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawlngs, which form a part of this specification I have lllllS- trated a preferred embodiment of these improvements. Figure 1 thereof is a top view of the device; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary. perspective of the normally front end of the device with the nozzle member swung outward; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken substantially medlally longitudinally through the front end of the brush cleaner, substantially as shown on a smaller scale by a part of Fig. 5; Fig.4 1s a side view of the device; Fig. 5 is a vertlcal, longitudinal section through the structure of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a bottom plan of the device.

The top or cover portlofi 10 is preferably fiat and preferably horizontally d sposed and is normally relatively close to the floor.

I At the normally front end of the device is a suction chamber 11 defined by suitable walls, as 10?, 12, 13 and two side walls 14*, one of which is seen in-Fig. 2, these walls forming a structure rigid with and carried by the top 7 portion, coveror main support 10. Means Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented' m. 14, 1916.

Application filed February 11, 1916. Serial No. 77,555.

for' creating suction, preferably a plurality ofbellows, as 14, 15 and 16 (Fig. 6) are also beneath the top or main support 10, and are preferably secured to and carried by the top part 10,each of these bellows having an opening, as 17 (Fig. '5), the base 10 having an opening 18 in registration with each of the openings 17 respectively. The base 10 has another opening 19 into the suction chamber 11, and a top piece or auxiliary.

cover 20 excavated or hollowed out to provide the space 21 is secured upon the cover 10 whereby the space 21 and the openings 17, 18 and 19 constitute a conduit between the bellows respectively and the suction chamber 11.

A pair of brackets 22 is secured, as by bolting to the underside of the main support 10, these brackets carrying an axle 23, the axle being formed to provide the crank arms 24,

25 and 26, a pair of wheels 27 being rigidly secured upon the axles, the wheels 27 being adapted to travel upon the'fioor. Connections 28, 29 and 30 are secured respectively upon the bellows, as by means of screws, these connections respectively having a slot, as 31, the crank arms respectively traveling in these slots 31, the arrangement being such,

as is clear from Fig. 5, that as the Wheels travel upon the floor the crank arms will revolve and the relatively movable part of the bellows to which they are respectively attached will be moved-up and down'the distance of the stroke of the crank arms. Each of the bellows is provided with openings, as 32, covered loosely with fabric or. other suitable cover 33 whereby air may escape from the bellows during the upward stroke while preventing any substantial amount of air from entering the bellows thereat' during the downward or suction-creatingv stroke, the cover 33 being substantially a flap valve. Similar valves 34 permit air to enter the bellows through the openings 17 respectively. A-dust collecting bag or receptacle 35 is removably positioned in the suction chamber 11, this bag preferably being'secured to a frame 36, which frame carries a referably rubber gasket-like facing piece 3 adapted to'lie against the outer front face of parts defining the suction chamber opening-11 and suitably also against the cross frame part 38.

7 A suction nozzle 39 having the conduit 40 is hingedly mounted upon the front end of the device, suitably upon the frame part 38,

as by the hinges 41 whereby the nozzle 39 is permanently secured to the rest of the device, yet may be moved into and out of operative position in an easy and simple manner whereby access may be had to the dust bag 35 for removing same from the suction chamber 11 when it is desired to empty the dust bag, or when it may be desired to clean the interior of the suction chamber 11. The dust bag 35 constitutes a means intermediate the suction nozzle and the suction-creating device for straining the air of collected dust and dirt. Such straining means may be other than the dust bag shown. Means are provided for holding the nozzlemember 39 in operative position, as in Fig. 1 or Fig. 4, these means being shown as a pair of hooks 42 pivotally mounted upon the support 10, a headed pin, suitably a round headed screw 43, at each end of the nozzle 39 coacting with the hooks. The arcuate holding edges 44 of the hooks respectively are preferably eccentric to the pivots 45 respectively so as to draw the nozzle 39 more tightly against the gasket 37 the harder the pressure applied to them in the hooking operation.

' Preferred means for driving the device upon the floor is thebail 46 having turned ends passing through openings in the brackets 47 respectively, a handle 48 being secured into a connection 49 on the bail.

The brush sweeper comprises the rotary brush 50 having friction wheels 51 in engagement with the wheels 52 adapted to travel upon the floor. The brush 51 is supported by pintles 53 carried by the brackets 54 secured to side walls 55 of the brush cleaner. The wheels 52 are carried loosely on the'ends of a shaft 56 held by a screweye 57 and pressed normally downward at the ends by springs 58, an opening 59 in each of the side walls 55 of the brush cleaner providing foran up and down movement of the front end of the complete device against the sustaining pressure of the springs 58. The wheels 52 thereby coact to where it contacts the floor, and thus pro-- viding greater security against tearing and wearing the pile. of the carpet or rug by the nozzle 39.

Pivotally mounted dust pans 60 are arranged to receive sweepings from the brush 50, these dust pans being caused to rock against spring pressure on their pivots 61 and-discharge their contents when the slidably mounted finger-piece 62 is moved upward, the pintles 63 (Fig. 4) on the dust pansrespectively being engaged by a slotted portion of the finger-piece 62, the

mosses pintles 63 moving in arcuate slots 64 in the side walls 55. I make no claim of invention in the details of construction of the brush sweeper per se, and the same are now' well understood in the art.

I preferably secure the side walls 65 and 66 and also the rear wall 67 to the top portion 10, and thus the working apparatus is well inclosed against casual injury as well as secured against injurious contact with furniture when the device is in use. An opening 68 in one of the side walls gives access to the finger-piece 62. It will be observed that upon removing the handle 48 the devicemay be stood upon its end wall 67 and thus consume but relatively small space when stored away until the next time of use.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the improvements made, and I contemplate all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

ll claim:

1. The combination of a substantially flat and horizontal main support, a pair of wheels at the rear end of said support, said support being close to the horizontal plane of the tops of said Wheels, a shaft having crank arms between said wheels and rotated thereby as the device travels upon the floor, a plurality of bellows beneath said main support each having a relatively fixed wall with respect to-said support and av relatively movable wall, said fixed and movable walls being hinged together at the forward ends of the bellows respectively whereby a greater space occurs between the forward end portion of the bellows respectively and the floor than between the rear end portions of the bellows respectively and the floor, the rear ends of said bellows respectively being forward of the forward throw of said crank arms, means for connecting said crank arms witlf said movable bellows walls respectively to move the same bellows-fashion when the device travels upon the floor, walls forming a suction chamber at the forward end of the device and forward of said bellows, the

suction nozzle through said dust chamber and into said bellows respectively.

.2. In a cleaner of the character described,

the combination of a. substantially horizontal main support, a pair of wheels at the rear end portion of said support, and adapted'to travel upon the floor, said main support being close to the peripheries of said wheels, -a plurality of bellows having one wall of each thereof secured so as to lie close to the underside of saidmain support, each of said bellows having a movable wall hinged at the forward end of the relatively fixed wall of the bellows'respectively, the rear ends of said bellows respectively being forward of the forward throw of said crank arms, a plurality of cranks, one for each bellows, under the control of said wheels, means connecting said cranks to the movable walls of said bellows respectively whereby said movable walls are moved to create suction by said bellows as the device travels upon the floor, and a suction nozzle in valve controlled communication with said bellows respectively.

3. A low cleaner of the character described comprising .in combination a substantially fiat main support constituting the top wall of the device, walls forming a suction chamber immediately beneath said top wall and at the forward end thereof,

suction creating means immediately beneath said top wall and in valve controlled communication with said suction chamber, a pair of wheels also immediately beneath and relatively close to said top wall, a crank arm in driven relation to one of said wheels, said suction creating means being forward of said crank arm whereby said top wall may be relatively close to the circular path of movement of said crank arm, a connection between said crank arm and said suction creating means whereby suction is created in said suction chamber when the device travels upon the floor, and a suction nozzle in communication with said suction chamber.

4. In a low cleaner of the character described, the combination of a casing including a main support constituting the top of the device and two side walls and an end wall secured to said top wall, said casing being substantially rectangular in outline, walls forming a suction chamber immediately beneath said main support, suction creating means also immediately beneath said main support and in valve controlled communication with said suction chamber, a pair of wheels adapted to travel upon the floor at the rear end ofthe device and also immediately beneath said main support, a crank arm in driven relation to one of said wheels, said suction creating means. being forward of said crank arm whereby said top wall may be relatively close to the path of movement of said crank arm, a connection between said crank arm and said suction creating means whereby suction is created in said chamber when the device travels upon the floor, said Wheels, suction creating means and chamber being between the side walls of said casing, and means providing a suction conduit from the interior of said suction chamber to the floor.

I BURRELL D. JONES.

Witnesses.

ALVA. B. Ronssnnn, M. M. Knmsmo. 

